


The Chaos Theory

by jcksnwhttsmrs



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Future Fic, Gen, it really isn't very AU actually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-26
Updated: 2013-07-17
Packaged: 2017-12-16 05:14:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/858200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jcksnwhttsmrs/pseuds/jcksnwhttsmrs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been over two years since Derek kicked Isaac out of his apartment, and out of his life. Cora had forgotten all about the boy she shared a brief, but intense week with until she was unexpectedly tossed back into his world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Break's Over

Cora Hale sighed, and folded another shirt shoving it into her suitcase. She thought it was ironic, a werewolf in college. It was almost as ironic as, well, a teen werewolf. Cora moved in with Derek at the beginning of her sophomore year of high school. It was a rocky move-in to say the least, but she was glad to have a family again and they got over it.

Now, Cora just turned 18 and she had graduated from Beacon Hills High School, having faded into the background after the initial 'new kid' shock subsided . Cora was never one to identify herself as a werewolf alone. She didn't let it become her, and let herself have interest in other things to pave a future and lifestyle for herself. Cora was proudly going to Stanford on a partial soccer scholarship, and their hadn’t been a life threatening werwolf related situation in years. Things seemed as normal as they could. But still it felt like something was missing. Cora just hoped she would find it at university.

She was leaving in the morning, and had only her clothes to pack. Everything else she was planning on taking with her was packed away and placed nicely in Derek’s Toyota. It had only taken Derek a few months to get sick of the thing, and take the Camaro back. Cora was happy because when she got her license, her brother promised the stupid Toyota was hers.

Cora stepped into her closet that was almost empty now, and pulled the last shirt off the hanger beginning to fold it. Noticing a sleeve sticking out from the back corner of her closet, Cora bent down to pick it up. Dropping the other shirt to the floor, Cora held out the sweater in front of her. It was way too big for her, and the pattern was not something she would ever buy so Cora sat thoroughly confused as to where this sweater came from.

Taking in a breathe, Cora gasped. The familiar scent hit her like a freight train and she suddenly remembered where the sweater came from. Isaac Lahey.

Cora was transported back to the first night she met Isaac, and she meant really met him. It was the night after the full moon when she and Boyd tried to kill all of Beacon Hills in an hour. She sat wrapped up in herself on Derek’s couch trying to take in the setting. Isaac startled her by sitting down next to her with two glasses of juice in hand. Derek reluctantly had an errand to run, and left the two teens alone briefly. Reaching over, Isaac offered her the drink. Without a word she took it, and offered a faint smile.

“I’m sorry about last night.” she said. Isaac smiled. “Wasn’t your fault.” he stated. After that the two of them sat in silence watching television until Derek came home. It was only days after that, that Cora lost Isaac forever.

It was after the alpha pack had made a visit to the Hale home, and Derek kicked Isaac out. She remembered biting her lip to keep from crumbling in front of both of the boys. There were no words to describe how horrible she felt knowing Derek was using her as a reason why Isaac had to leave. That was the night he had given her his sweater. It was also the last time she had ever seen him. Cora heard that Isaac jumped between the McCall house, and the Stilinski house before he declared himself an Omega and made a move to Washington. It disappointed her. 

She wasn’t sure why, and she wasn’t sure why she even accepted it. All Cora knew was that despite only speaking a few words to the boy, she slept in his stupid sweater for weeks. Something about the way it felt, and smelled just felt like it was where she belonged. Cora never saw Isaac again, and whenever she asked about him all she got was hushed answers, and frustration.

Cora shook all the thoughts away and folded the sweater. Now was not the time to start reminiscing about Isaac Lahey. She was sure it was Derek who over the years had turned him into a miniscule bump in the road for their family. Cora was also smart enough to understand that all of that was shit. Derek did care about Isaac and nothing you could say could make her think otherwise. She closed the closet door and placed the sweater down on her bed beside her suitcase. She wasn’t sure why it even meant so much to her. She wasn’t one of those girls who knew a guy for a few days and considered herself in love with him. She couldn't even bring herself to say she cared about the boy. She was just...intrigued. Cora did feel like she owed him everything, and that she wanted to make it up to him. She just wanted to get to know him and she would never get the chance now.

Cora closed the suitcase, and dragged it to the living room, ready for the morning. She decided she was being an idiot about Isaac and his freaking sweater, and threw herself on her bed hoping to get sleep. Thankfully, she did. When she woke, Cora had mixed emotions about the day. She wanted to leave, but didn’t all at the same time. There was a knock at the door as she tied the undone lace on her sneaker. “Come in” she said faintly.

“Hey, frosh.” Derek said with a smirk. Cora rolled her eyes. Derek was beyond proud of Cora for the chapter in her life that she was about to embark on. His eyes scanned the near empty room. The only thing let were some posters on the wall, and little things Cora couldn't bring herself to get rid of, but knew had no place in a college dorm room. "It looks different in here." he said, taking a few more steps inside. Cora watched as his eyes hit the sweater hanging off the dresser, sticking out like a sore thumb in the empty room. Giving up, Cora grabbed it and put it on, letting the left shoulder fall a little, and the sleeves flowing down to the tips of her fingers.

She couldn’t quite tell what the look in Derek’s eye was, but she tried her hardest not to let herself think that it was her brother knowing the sweater and who it came from. “You better get going” he said. “Yeah.” His little sister answered with a nervous smile.

Left alone in her room, Cora took one last look at it and walked out behind him. “Okay, you're going to take 80 all the way down.” he said, shutting the backseat door of his old Toyota, after strategically fitting her last suitcase in the back . “I know. This is probably the sixth time you've told me. And you printed me a map.” she answered, with a smirk. Derek rolled rolled his eyes, and lifted up the hood just to make sure everything was safe for a long drive. After a few minutes, he closed the hood and looked at her in silence. She knew he wouldn’t initiate a hug, so Cora jumped into his arms and closed her eyes. “Thank you for…the past few years, Der.” she said sincerely.

He slowly patted her back and answered. “Thank you.” Cora pulled away and smiled softly. She walked around to the driver’s side, and opened the door. “Call me when you get there. Call me if you have a problem. Call me if-” she put her hand up in protest. “I know, Der. You don’t have to worry about me.” He nodded. “I’ll come home in a few weeks, alright? It’s not that far away.” “I know, Cor.”

With that, Cora was on her way. It only took a few hours for her to get to the campus. She pulled into the parking lot designated for the dorm building she was assigned to. Derek had drove her out a few weeks earlier to get a feel for everything, so she knew exactly where she was going. The campus was busy, but Cora managed to find her dorm advisor relatively quickly. "Hey, are you Stacey, Lacey, Deborah, or Cora?" the quirky woman asked. "Cora." she answered with a shy smile. "Well Cora, you've been the best dressed girl to walk through here today." she told her. Cora dreaded the statement when she looked down and remembered she was wearing the sweater. "Thanks" was all she could say. "I'm Tim...Timara, but Tim because my older brothers hate me." she explained, handing Cora a sheet of paper. "Tell me about it." she mumbled, looking over the paper. "These are just some basic rules we have for all dorm rooms here. It's everything you'd expect; no drugs, no pets, you get it." Cora nodded. "Alright then, Cora. I think you're good to go. You're room 203 with either Stacey, Lacey, or Deborah...or maybe two, or all three? We'll find out." Tim offered before walking away to greet another girl walking into the building. Cora walked up the stairs, and was relieved when room 203 was right at the top of the staircase. She stuck her key in, and pushed the door open. The room was empty except for a few desks, and two beds. Cora dropped her soccer bag on the floor next to the bed far from the window, and pinned the dorm rules sheet on the cork board above the desk she was assuming hers. The girl could hear the gathering of more people downstairs, and Tim going over the same things with them as she did with Cora. Alone, she made two trips from her car to her dorm and began unpacking the things she figured she would need first. Still, there was no show of a roommate, but Cora didn't mind much. Giving up after enough clothes to get her through the week, Cora flopped back on her bed and stared up at the white ceiling. Here it was: the greatest time of her life. Truthfully Cora was still distraught over the stupid sweater draped over her shoulders. She pushed herself off the bed, grabbed her key, and walked out the door. Cora was honestly disappointed at the stereotypical group of boys sitting outside the dorm building rating the freshman girls as they walked through the quad. 

Pulling away from the crowd in the evening light, Cora found sanctuary while discovering the library. There were very few people in there, and she assumed it was due to the lack of actual work needing to be done so early in the year. She had a feeling the now empty room would be packed with people when it came time to cram for tests.

She made her way up and down the aisles, looking for familiar titles. Stopping when she turned down a row, Cora’s breathe caught in her lungs. The overheard lamp shined down on the boy who sat hunched over a book at the table at the end of her aisle. His legs crossed under the seat, and he cocked his head to the side when he finished the page he was on. She scanned what he was wearing from toe to curly haired-head. He looked like he was missing something, maybe a sweater.

His sweater. Their sweater.


	2. Diverging Trajectories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cora held her breath, not wanting to turn around. After a few seconds she did, and came face to face with Isaac.

With wide eyes, Cora turned and made a mad dash for the library door, and straight to her dorm. She couldn’t even collect her thoughts until she slammed her dorm door shut and leaned against it. He couldn’t be here of all places. The worst part was that a small part of Cora was ready to run to him, and jump into his arms. She wanted to make up, and catch up but the rational part of the girl told her to turn around and run, just like it always did. Cora always listened. 

Cora opened her eyes only to find three kids sitting in a circle on the floor in between the two beds in the room. “Dude, you look like you just saw a ghost.” one of the boys said. “More like a werewolf.” she said, and walked further into the room. “Dude, that is rad.” he said, turning around to face her instead of his friends. 

“Cora? I’m Stacey. Spacey Stacey. Stace Case...whatever you want. I have a bitch of a twin sister down the hall, and these are the coolest people you will ever meet: Todd, and Jason.” the girl across the room said, standing up. The boy who had first spoke to her, Jason, stuck out his hand and gave her a shy smile. “I’m Cora. I think I’m pretty cool too.” she said, half her mind still in the library, and the other half all over the pavement on the way back to the dorm. 

Jason laughed, and pulled Todd up off the floor. “We better go before Tim gets us.” Jason said to Stacey, who was now sprawled across her bed and occupied with her phone. Todd gave a simple nod to Cora and walked out. “He....doesn’t talk much?” she assumed. Jason laughed, “Nope. Only to Stace.” he told her. “Well, it was nice meeting you.” he said. Cora smiled. “You too.” 

Cora closed the door behind the boys, and turned around startled when Stacey was standing by the pile of Cora’s stuff she had left there before. “Todd’s mine. It’s not like official or anything, but don’t...or else you’ll wake up bald or something.” Cora crossed her arms over her chest, feeling like she was either going to get along with Stacey or hate her. “You said your sister was the bitch?” Stacey immediately looked up and made eye contact with Cora before bursting into laughter. “Good one.”

She fell back onto her bed again while Cora kicked off her shoes and pulled off her stupid sweater. “Jason on the other hand...take him.” Stacey flipped the light off, and turned over in her bed. Cora crawled under the covers, and tried to get any sleep at all but she couldn’t stop thinking about Isaac. She wondered if he even went here at all. She debated him simply being a figment of her imagination. Then her mind wandered to every little detail of his life, what did his dorm look like? What classes was he taking? Did he even remember her? Somewhere between picturing what cluttered under his bed, and what books lined his bookshelf, Cora fell asleep but it wasn’t for too long. 

“Get up, whora Cora. We have things to do.” she heard after a series of pokes to her body. “What?” she asked, looking up at Stacey leaning over her. “Schedules, books, boys, and by the looks of it: soccer. You have shit to do, so let’s go....and don’t wear that stupid sweater!” Cora groaned, but followed.  
She went through the morning doing everything incoming freshman were supposed to. She sat through the speeches, and lectures. She received her schedule, and met her new soccer coach. By the time she got back to her dorm, she didn’t want to unpack. She wanted to sleep. Reluctantly, she pulled open her suitcase and began pulling out everything she had. Stacey was doing the same on the other side of the room. 

Her roommate put on the radio she had just pulled out of a box, and started dancing to the music blaring from the speakers. Cora never considered herself a mainstream music listener, but she appreciated a good song to dance to. It seemed to make time go by faster, and soon enough most of their things were out of boxes and scattered all over the room. “I’m so glad you’re not some bitch. Actually I’m so glad you’re not my sister. We went to a private high school, and they roomed us together. They claimed it was alphabetical when I made a complaint, but I know those bitches just stuck us together.” 

“So do you really not like her, or is it somewhat friendly?” Stacey shrugged. “She’s my twin sister, so I love her...I just can’t stand to be in the same room with her for too long.” Cora nodded. “I totally get it.” She placed a framed picture of her and Derek on the table beside her bed. “Who is the hottie?” Stacey asked. “Uh...that’s my brother.” Stacey was silent for a few moments before looking over at the picture. “Oh...well he’s a total babe too, but I meant curly Q over here.” she said, and pointed out the window. 

Sure enough, Isaac was standing in the courtyard below their window talking to two other boys, book slung under his arm. Cora stayed silent, and continued to fold her clothes. “Come on, do you think anyone is hot? Are you a lesbian? Do you think I’m hot?” she asked, striking a pose. Cora practically snorted. “No, I’m not. I’m just not as open as you about everything.” she claimed. 

Stacey looked over Cora for a moment. “You pull of this distressed, mystery girl really well.” she complimented. Cora just rolled her eyes. Stacey fell back onto her bed, phone in hand. “Oh. We have a party to go to.” she said excitedly. Cora raised an eyebrow. Through high school, Cora was the quiet girl who definitely didn’t go to parties. It wasn’t as much that she wasn’t cool enough to attend parties because Stiles tried to drag her to a million and one, and that’s not even counting what the boy had tried to come up with during Senior year when he decided he was hopelessly in love with her. 

Cora and Derek agreed that parties were not the place to be. They get humans in trouble, a werewolf didn’t need to be there too. “I don’t do parties.” she told the blonde. Stacey rolled her eyes, and pulled off her shirt, ready to pull on another. “Jason wants us to go, he wants you to go. I want you to go. Do you know how I look walking in there with two guys on my arm?” Cora smirked. “I could think of something.” Stacey shoved her. “Cora. Enough with this dry wit, and brooding.” Stacey made her way to Cora’s closet and started pushing the hangers across, examining the eighteen year old’s clothes. “God, who does your shopping, your dad?” 

Cora just folded her arms over her chest and looked away. Stacey noticed the change in her expression, and frowned. “Sweetie, I didn’t...” Cora smiled, and shook her head. “It’s fine. Let’s go to this party ok. You dress me...let me borrow something, or...something.” she said. Stacey smiled, and hopped over to her side and started compiling the perfect outfit for Cora.

Much to her dismay, Cora didn’t walk into the frat house with a too-short dress, and seven inch heels. Stacey left that to herself, and dressed Cora in way she would probably dress herself on a good day. Wrapping the black sweater around her body Cora folded her arms and looked around the dingy living room they were in. It was loud, and smoky and Cora didn’t like it. Jason had been standing next to her the entire time. “You okay?” he asked. “Yeah, fine.” she answered. 

“Jason, shots!” Stacey yelled almost immediately, and pulled the boy off to the kitchen. Soon, people started packing into the house and between the obnoxious boy-like greetings everyone was giving each other, and the hazing process that seemed to be going on, Cora assumed it was the first party in a while.

The wolf found a keg, and filled her cup before eagerly getting out to the back patio. She leaned against the fence and looked out at the dim lit backyard. She wasn’t happy. She didn’t want to be here. She didn’t know where she wanted to be, but she knew things were better when she was with Derek. She knew that had to be the start of her happiness, and leaving him was only backtracking. 

“That’s a nice sweater...not as nice as the one you were wearing the other night, but it’ll do.” She heard. Cora held her breath, not wanting to turn around. After a few seconds she did, and came face to face with Isaac. “Do you want it back. I’ll....give it to you. I can even wash it.” She said, keeping her eyes glued to the wood paneling on the floor.

Isaac managed a smile and took a step forward. He kept a steady distance from her. “No, it’s fine. I’m surprised. I never thought I would see it again.” he said. Cora finally looked at him. Brows furrowed, she examined him. There was no denying he was a beautiful boy. The light from the window behind him made him look almost godly, and Cora tried to throw that word out of her head almost as soon as it flew it. Something about him looked rougher than when she had seen him years before. He was worn, but not weak. He was experiences, not vulnerable and she was dying to know everything. 

He took a sip from his cup, and Cora marveled at how at ease he seemed to be. She spent the last two years mulling over how to apologize to him, and trying to get over how guilty she felt about being the reason Derek kicked him out in the first place. Did he not care at all? “Still don’t talk much?” he asked, and it startled her. Before she could answer, there was a knock at the window and Isaac turned around to see two boys waving at him. She recognized one of them as a boy Isaac was talking to when Stacey had spotted him out the window. Isaac gave a hesitant wave back, and grabbed Cora’s arm before pulling her with him. “We should go.” 

Cora squirmed out of his arm. “We? There is no we, and I’m not going anywhere.” Isaac shot her a dark look and let go of her. “You need to go.” He urged. “This is ridiculous.” She said, and began to turn around. “Cora” he said sternly, and it struck something in the girl. It was surreal enough to see him again, to talk to him, to know he remembered her. But it was then she realized he had never addressed her before. They had known each other for a week at most, and they had avoided each other, despite living together for that short time. It was the first time he used her name to speak to her, and all she could do was freeze. 

“What is wrong with you? Can you tell me something because I don’t get it at all.” she said. Isaac looked up and sighed like he was trying to decide something in his head. “They are hunters...sort of. Those guys, their family is a family of hunters.” Cora’s eyes widened. “They are sort of like the Argents. They know about me, and we have an...agreement, I guess. They don’t know about you, so please just go. I’ll tell them, even introduce you if you want. Just, please?” he pleaded with her.

Cora nodded. She was even more confused and torn over this. He cared for her. He didn’t want her to be harmed. He was showing that. He still thought about the Argents, and Beacon Hills and she knew it probably hurt him to but he did it. She wondered if he thought about all of it as much as she thought of him.


End file.
